Games night during the summer hols meant sufficient time for Adrian to prepare an impromptu Shako scenario from the Fields of Glory book (which had the effect of inadvertently confusing James, Deej and Orhan who turned up clutching copies of FoG). These scenarios are generally pretty good and can be completed in around 3.5 hours. We went for the Battle of Castiglione, 1796. We'd never played this one before because I'd never previously had enough Austrian line infantry units painted up. As it is, the uniforms of all my figures are for the later period but there you go...
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The Scenario map - The French are on the left, attacking the Austrian centre. Fiorella's flank-marching Division can arrive from Turn 3 if the French gets the die roll; in our game it arrived on Turn 5
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| The figures at initial set up, the French flank march (Fiorella's Division) and reinforcements not yet on table. |
Castiglione saw a grand outflanking manoeuvre by Napoleon to try to turn the Austrians' strong defensive position. Historically this arrived too early and prematurely sprung the trap, but in our game it worked out about right. Orhan played Napoleon with me rolling dice for Massena and Leclerc and James the Austrian General Wurmser, supported by Deej. The scenario is a very tricky one for the Austrians since they are largely fixed in position and can but react to the arrival of the large flank march. The French needed to break three of the four main Austrian infantry columns to claim victory, with a glorious victory achieved if they also occupied the village of Solferino. A draw would result if the French failed to do this, and the Austrians would win if they saw off the assaults and break three French divisions.
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| Napoleon receives word from General Fiorella... |
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| General Wurmser in position behind General Wetzel's Column on the heights of Solferino and General Pittoni's Column in the centre. The Reserve Column of Grenadiers commanded by General Lipthay waits behind the line. |
Napoleon opted to assault the Austrian Redoubt on the hill of Monte Medolano (in reality the 'hill' was only 5m in elevation but the Redoubt made it a formidable enough obstacle for the French to want to amass a grand battery against it) and the village of Solferino, with his combined Grenadier brigade screening the Austrian centre and his cavalry advancing against the Austrian cavalry on the French extreme right.
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| General Nicoletti's Heavy Battery in the Redoubt of Monte Medolano |
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| Austrian Hussars prepare to go into action... |
The assault on Solferino by Massena's and Leclerc's divisions went according to plan with the French grand battery pummelling the Austrian infantry to the right of the advance. With minimal losses Massena managed to win and hold the village on the last turn of the game.
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| Massena's Division attack uphill in column, supported by Leclerc's Division. French light infantry face off the Austrians in the woods. |
On the right flank, Augereau's large French infantry Division managed to take and hold the Redoubt, with Kilmaine's cavalry driving off Schubriz's Austrian cavalry - who had to face an attack in the rear by the Dragoons of Fiorella's flank marching mixed French Division.
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| Croatian Light Infantry battalions assault the Redoubt as Austrian fusiliers of Peist's Centre Column advance against the flank of the main attacking body of French, General Augereau at their head. |
The Austrian reserve column redeployed to face Fiorella and the Austrian centre column went into the attack. It was clear that the last couple of turns would be crucial - would the French, clearly forcing the battle on both flanks, be able to do enough to claim victory?
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| Augereau takes the Redoubt as General Verdier's combined Grenadiers attack Pittoni's column in the centre (two battalions having just been routed by the leading Grenadier battalion). At the top left of the picture the Austrian reserve marches in column to intercept Fiorella's flank march. |
At the end of the final turn, despite having lost no divisions and seized the redoubt and the village, Napoleon had only broken 2 of the 4 Austrian infantry formations, not enough for victory. The Austrians had not inflicted enough casualties to claim a win themselves (pretty dire dice-rolling throughout) so the final result was a well-fought draw.
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